1. Technical Field
This invention relates to wash/wiper switch control assemblies for vehicles such as automotive cars and trucks, and more particularly to a wash/wiper switch control assembly for controlling the on/off operation of a plurality of windshield wipers of the vehicle in addition to controlling the application of windshield washer solvent to the windshield of the vehicle.
2. Discussion
Many present day automobiles, trucks and other motor vehicles include some form of wash/wiper switch control assembly. The wash/wiper switch control assembly typically performs two functions: controlling the on/off operation of a plurality of windshield wipers of the vehicle as well as the application of windshield washer solvent to the windshield of the vehicle. Many such switch control assemblies further allow intermittent wiper operation and operator control over the frequency of wiper operation. This allows the speed of the windshield wipers to be increased or decreased within a predetermined range by the operator rotating a cover member of the switch assembly, to thereby allow the speed of the wipers to be tailored to the environmental conditions such as the severity of a rain storm which the vehicle is passing through.
Such prior developed wash/wiper switch control assemblies typically include a cover member which is graspable by the operator, a spring at least partially disposed within the cover member, an actuator member which is at least partially disposed within the cover member in such a manner that rotation of the cover member causes a corresponding rotation of the actuator member, a wiper contact member physically secured to the actuator member and a wash contact member which is physically secured to the interior of the cover member. The wiper contact member operates to selectively complete a circuit secured to a lever member of the assembly as the cover member is rotated, which controls the speed of operation of the wipers as the cover member is rotated by the operator. As an example, rotating the cover member counter-clockwise might cause the intermittency of the wiper operation to be reduced (i.e., the wipers operate less frequently) while rotating the cover member clockwise might increase the frequency of operation of the wipers. The wash contact member, being a separate component part, typically is disposed such that when the cover member is pushed in by the operator towards the lever member against the biasing force provided by the spring, the wash contact member engages a portion of a circuit board mounted to the lever member. This activates a windshield washer solvent pump to cause windshield washer solvent to be applied to the windshield while the cover member is held in a depressed position.
While the above described wash/wiper switch control assembly has proven to be extremely useful in controlling a plurality of independent functions of the wash/wiper components of the vehicle, the wiper contact member and the wash contact member, being separate component parts which must be separately secured to the actuator and the cover member in at least two independent steps. This has somewhat increased the cost and complicated the manufacture of such wash/wiper switch control assemblies. Since wash/wiper switch control assemblies are used in large volumes, the added cost of requiring two staking operations to independently secure the wiper contact and the wash contact member to the actuator member and cover member, as well as the added complexity to the manufacturing of this assembly because of these two required steps, has represented a sizeable manufacturing component cost.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable if the wiper contact and the wash contact could be integrated in a manner such that a single component part is formed from these two individual component parts. A single wash/wiper contact member would significantly simplify the overall manufacture of the wash/wiper switch control assembly. Such a single component would also save costs by eliminating one of two manufacturing steps presently required in independently staking the wash contact member and the wiper contact member to their respective components. Still further, reliability could be increased if the wash contact member and wiper contact member were manufactured as a single, integrally formed component which could be secured as a single piece component to the actuator member of such a switch control assembly. Such a single piece wash/wiper contact member would improve reliability by eliminating the positional variations between the wash contact member and the wiper contact member when these components are independently secured as two separate component parts to the cover member and the actuator member.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an integrally formed wash/wiper contact member for use in a wash/wiper switch control assembly, where the wash/wiper contact member can be secured as a single component part to the actuator member of the assembly.